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Washington State to cut 10 jobs, reduce coaches' pay

Washington State's athletic department will cut 10 full-time jobs and top coaches will take a voluntary 15% pay cut to help deal with budget problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Athletic director Pat Chun, football coach Nick Rolovich and men's basketball coach Kyle Smith are taking the 15% pay cuts, the school said Friday. Women's basketball coach Kamie Ethridge will take a 12.5% salary reduction.

Every other head coach, assistant coach and contracted staff member has been asked, or mandated, to take a 10% salary reduction, the Pac-12 school said.

In addition, all non-contracted staff members are required to take two furlough weeks by Nov. 20, and two more weeks between Feb. 1-June 1, 2021.

Chun said the goal is to cut into a $30 million loss in athletic department revenue this fall because of the pandemic. Washington State was already facing financial woes before COVID-19. The athletic department has a debt of about $100 million from the construction of a football operations building, stadium upgrades and other spending in the past decade.